Panasonic SDR-H40

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alaTest has collected and analyzed 254 reviews of Panasonic SDR-H40. The average rating for this product is 3.7/5, compared to an average rating of 4.0/5 for other Camcorders for all reviews. Views about the zoom and image quality are generally positive. The portability and price also get good views. Many are less positive about the viewfinder.

usability, price, portability, image quality, zoom

viewfinder

We analyzed user and expert ratings, product age and more factors. Compared to other Camcorders the Panasonic SDR-H40 is awarded an overall alaScore™ of 80/100 = Very good quality.

Showing 191 review(s)

Amazon.co.uk review summary for Panasonic SDR-H40

alaTest has collected and analyzed 15 user reviews of Panasonic SDR-H40 from Amazon.co.uk. The average user rating for this product is 3.4/5, compared to an average user rating of 4.0/5 for other Camcorders on Amazon.co.uk. People really like the image quality and price.

usability, price, image quality

67% of the reviews on Amazon.co.uk give this product a positive rating.

Amazon.com review summary for Panasonic SDR-H40

alaTest has collected and analyzed 142 user reviews of Panasonic SDR-H40 from Amazon.com. The average user rating for this product is 3.6/5, compared to an average user rating of 3.9/5 for other Camcorders on Amazon.com. People really like the zoom and image quality. The portability and price are also appreciated. Some have doubts about the viewfinder.

Panasonic SDR-H40 Review and Prices

The Panasonic SDR-H40 is an entry-level DV camcorder and is another entry into the increasingly popular hard disk drive market. It is designed to compete with the low-end Everio range from JVC and Sony's standard definition HDD camcorders.

Large storage capacity, great handling, powerful zoom and impressive OIS

The Panasonic SDR-H40 makes a very strong argument for itself. With an impressive 40GB built-in hard drive, and a record-making 42x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom, the Panasonic SDR-H40 stands head and shoulders above most other hard drive camcorders....

The Panasonic SDR-H40 makes a very strong argument for itself. With an impressive 40GB built-in hard drive, and a record-making 42x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom, the Panasonic SDR-H40 stands head and shoulders above most other hard drive camcorders....

Expert Review

With its 30GB hard drive, SD card slot and 42x optical zoom, the SDR-H40 is a versatile little performer. If you're on the lookout for an affordable standard-def camera for casual use, it is definitely one of the better buys on the market.

Perfect for every event

For battery though you can buy others from them that last longer from the one it came with to a 7hr 10min. The battery life and not being able charge when recording will being pluged into the wall is the only problems I see so far but buy another batt...

The optical zoom works so good. Controls are so easy to use. There are only a couple buttons on it so not a lot to learn how to use. The count down clock to let you now how much you have left to use in the hard drive is very nice. Also it does that...

The battery that comes with it has a short battery life it only lasts 50min and then it has to be charged and that takes more time 1hr 35min. When useing the AC cable to connect to the wall to keep recording you can not charge the battery because that...

Great choice home-use camcorder!

Okay, this is not a professional camcorder obviously, it is CCD, not 3CCD, but for the money/quality, it is probably one of the best values, if not the best. The picture is good, not perfect, just as you can expect from a CCD and non hi-def; indeed it...

Good picture, great sound, tiny, lightweight, great optical zoom and steady-shot, great HDD space, easy, intuitive controls, great battery life and quick charge. No need to switch tapes, discs or continuously transfer data from memory sticks and other...

Nice for the money

For the price I am happy with it. I wasn't expecting greatness. I have a older Panasonic DV recorder and it work pretty good too. I just wanted a internal HD so it would be easier to transfer video to the PC. You can actually go into the camera HD and...

Small size. A 40 gig internal hard gives you 9 hrs of video on high settings. Pretty good picture quality on play back. I have a 47 inch wide projection TV and it looked pretty good playing back from the camera. Battery charges quick. The zoom works...

To transfer video to the computer you need to have the AC adapter plugged in. Needs a lot of light to give it a better picture quality. The software is kinda buggy and slow but it does work. I have vista 32 sp1.

Great value

The small size can be a minus for big hands, but I still am happy with it. Also doesn't take the highest quality pictures, but then again it's a camcorder not a camera. It's not Hi-Def. But it also doesn't cost $1000.00+

great product

Product Specifications

The SDR-H40's 42x optical zoom lens has the power you need to take dramatic closeups or get remarkable shots of even distant subjects. But with long-distance zoom shots, even a tiny bit of hand shake has a huge effect on picture quality. That's where Panasonic's Advanced Optical Image Stabilization (O.I.S.) comes in, suppressing the effects of hand shake as you shoot. The system uses gyrosensors to detect hand shake, then shifts a lens and adjusts the optical axis to compensate. This all happens a remarkable 4,000 times per second. And because the system is optical, no image quality is lost. Thanks to Advanced O.I.S., the images you capture look incredibly clear, sharp and blur-free even at high zoom levels.The SDR-H40's 40GB internal hard disk drive lets you record continuously for up to 36 hours (in LP mode) without changing a disc, tape or other recording media.Panasonic's Anti-Shock Shield helps protect recorded video data from damage due to jolts and impact. The Drop Detect function senses if the camera is falling and moves the head away from the hard disk. The Floating Structure protects the hard disk should the camera fall or be dropped. And the Buffer Memory automatically backs up data while the camera is falling.This hard disk drive camcorder has a USB Host function, which lets you connect directly to a DVD burner (sold seperately) via a USB cable. You can then copy recordings from the hard disk to a DVD disc by simply pressing a button.You can transfer the motion-image data from the SD card or the camcorder's hard drive right to your PC using your PC's USB port.